"I met my friends, Gina Doerner and Alison Toussaint LeBeaux, for a birthday celebratory weekend in New York City," writes Maria Stambaugh. "We were there during the beginning of the writer's strike, but managed to see an off off Broadway play, "Awesome 80s Prom". It was one of those interactive plays like "Tony and Tina's Wedding".

"We were there the second week of November and the weather was cool, but not unbearable. We also got to see the ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza open and the Christmas tree going up. I can't wait to return! Despite popular belief, everyone we met in New York was very friendly and helpful.

"Tips: Check www.travelzoo.com for hotel deals. We got a great room in a newer hotel, Hotel Mela, for $269 instead of $650 rack rate. It was near Times Square, Bryant Park and Sardi's restaurant. Also, study the New York subway map ahead of time and familiarize yourself with the subway stops near your hotel.

"To help celebrate our daughters' upcoming graduation from medical school, we took a 2-week tour of Italy," writes Kinta Baldwin of Metairie. "This photo was taken in the colorful harbor of Capri. The transparent blue-green water of the Amalfi coast is truly breathtaking, and there are lemon and orange groves everywhere you turn.

Tips: Be sure to bring clothes that can be easily layered, because travelling in February means temperatures range between 40-70 degrees F. Also a must is a great pair of walking shoes for those ancient cobblestone streets!"

"The laid back lifestyle of the Dordogne, in southern France near Bordeaux, served as a great counterpoint to frenetic Paris as we introduced our kids to France last August," writes John Harkins of Uptown New Orleans. "We visited former Isidore Newman teacher Randy Bowman at his summer home in Le Buisson de Cadouin.

"It was a convenient location for day trips to quaint villages in the area while staying in the quintessential French town home Randy is lovingly restoring."

"Tip: The prehistoric cave paintings are a major attraction of the area. Tickets should be ordered months in advance."

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Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand

Distance from New Orleans: 9021 miles

Wimol Harwell

"Wat Rong Khun is one of the famous temples in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand," writes Wimol Harwell. "Created by ambitious Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, the white exterior represents the purity of Buddha. The only materials used are snow-white concrete, cement and limestone. The exterior is decorated with small pieces of shimmering mirrored glass.

" There is a painted enamel ceramic floor in the main prayer hall. The most disconcerting of the limestone sculptures is a sea of hands, reaching out from hell to beg for help.

"Tip: If you can get there when the moon is out it's worth the effort, but I recommend arriving during the day to see the amazing murals inside of the wat."

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

Distance from New Orleans (by air, via Miami, Fla.), 5,075 miles

Eddie Caiado

"For 2 weeks in February, I traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to finish my family geneology there and in the Argentinian town of Pergamino," writes Eddie Caiado.

"After getting Birth, Marriage and Death certificates and finding I could trace my family back to 1849, I stopped at the Cemetery of Recoleta and Evita Peron's family vault. Recoleta is a beautiful, clean and tourist-friendly area.

"I also visited the Chacarita Cemetery, the resting place of Carlos Gardel, 'The Tango King.' Chacarita, has a German and British section with the remains of sailors from The Graf Spee battleship, which was involved in the River Plate fight in 1939; it was the first major naval battle of World War II. Since I traveled by myself, I only have this photo of me standing by a "Locutorio" which is a phone and internet connection business and they are found all over the city.

"Each year, I take a road trip to watch the New Orleans Saints play in a city other than New Orleans," writes Cal Arabie. "This particular year, I chose to see them play the Seahawks in Seattle, Wash.

"Although, Seattle is a 2-sport town, and the trip was in September, the Mariners were out of town, so I had to settle for watching only one professional contest that weekend. Of course, while I'm in these cities, I try to take in what the city has to offer. This picture was taken from the top of the Space Needle, looking toward downtown Seattle. Qwest Field and Safeco Field are next to one another in the background.

"Tip: If you're going to Seattle, and plan to run several miles through and around the city, prepare yourself (better than I did) for the hills that await you".

"We spent 8 days in Barcelona over the Mardi Gras break, enjoying the beautiful parks and
unforgettable museums," writes Patti Tullis of Metairie. "The architect Gaudi's influence on the city was widespread (church, parks, homes).

"We spent one day in Montserrat (elevation 4,000 feet), where there's a monastery that is still home to more than 300 Benedictine monks. The Black Madonna inside the basilica attracts thousands of pilgrims every weekend.

Tip: Pickpockets are rampant in Barcelona."

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The next time you take a trip, pack a Travel cover and have a photo taken in front of someplace photogenic. (Be imaginative!) E-mail your photo to Papertrails@timespicayune.com or send it by snail mail to Paper Trails, Travel Section, The Times-Picayune, 3800 Howard Ave., New Orleans, LA 70125-1429.

Write 50 to 100 words about your experience, include the names (left to right) of the people in the picture, the mileage from New Orleans and a travel tip (something you wish you'd known before you left home). Include the name and address of the person submitting the photo.

If you send in a print, also write on the back of the picture the names (left to right), your phone, e-mail address, home address and both the date of the trip and the date you sent it to the paper. E-mail submissions should also include this information. We're sorry we cannot return pictures.